MERRYMEET VILLAGERS PLAN CAROLS ON DRIVE AFTER BISHOPS SHUT CHURCH
Last Christmas villagers in Merrymeet, east Cornwall, gathered around their village church porch for joyous carol-singing – glad to be together after the Covid lockdowns, even if still outside.
It was the same for last month’s Remembrance Sunday - they were reduced to standing in the road and decorating the church gates with poppies to honour local war dead.
Why? Because Cornwall’s Bishops and Archdeacons shut the church in October and changed the locks so no-one could enter, whatever the reason.
Menheniot’s media savvy priest in charge Rev Becca Bell, who oversees the historic Mission Church and five others in south east Cornwall, celebrated the last service on 9 October 2022.
“The weight of privilege and sadness and hope is huge,” the self-described ‘wife, mum, film lover, gin drinker, knitter and miniatures enthusiast’ said on Twitter afterwards. But she still oversaw the closing of the church despite the wishes of the local residents.
Merrymeet villagers are hard pushed to see where hope comes into it. Merrymeet has 60 houses, no school no post office, no shop and no pub. The church literally was the heart of the village, and many feel its closure was a disgrace. Residents have written to the national press about how much the church means to the village.
The Bishops over-ruled the local community, however - their line was that too few people attended on a Sunday and that large sums of money were needed for repairs.
The unofficial line is different.
“It’s called a church, it’s been used by the church as a place of worship and to all intents and purposes, it is a church,” says Peter Luck, head of the Residents’ Association. Mr Luck has written repeatedly about a lack of communication from the diocese, and a lack of concern from the Episcopal College.
“The Diocese has had opportunity after opportunity to accept grants from different businesses for its maintenance.”
Earlier this year, Archdeacon Kelly Betteridge said that 'a closure of a church happens fairly infrequently' and only on the initiative of local people - missing a key element in the residents' campaign.
Merrymeet residents do not want the church sold.
Merrymeet deserves better
The closure leaves the villagers with no choice but to find alternative ways to create a ‘church’ in the heart of their community – a much-needed focal point for a whole range of activities.
Besides services, the Mission Church was used for Craft Fairs, community events – like the June 2022 Platinum Jubilee – coffee mornings to raise money for local charities, parish council meetings on alternate months and resident association meetings monthly.
On the last Remembrance Day villagers created a poppy wreath memorial on the church gate, as they were unable to into the church where there is a memorial window listed with national registers of war memorials.
Not every Cornish church has a World War One window like this – just one of the unique features of Merrymeet Church. It - like the people of Merrymeet - deserves better.
This year – no such luck. They’ll be gathering on the concrete driveway of one of the village’s 60 houses to try and raise Yuletide cheer.
It was the same for last month’s Remembrance Sunday - they were reduced to standing in the road and decorating the church gates with poppies to honour local war dead.
Why? Because Cornwall’s Bishops and Archdeacons shut the church in October and changed the locks so no-one could enter, whatever the reason.
Menheniot’s media savvy priest in charge Rev Becca Bell, who oversees the historic Mission Church and five others in south east Cornwall, celebrated the last service on 9 October 2022.
“The weight of privilege and sadness and hope is huge,” the self-described ‘wife, mum, film lover, gin drinker, knitter and miniatures enthusiast’ said on Twitter afterwards. But she still oversaw the closing of the church despite the wishes of the local residents.
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The Bishops over-ruled the local community, however - their line was that too few people attended on a Sunday and that large sums of money were needed for repairs.
The unofficial line is different.
“It’s called a church, it’s been used by the church as a place of worship and to all intents and purposes, it is a church,” says Peter Luck, head of the Residents’ Association. Mr Luck has written repeatedly about a lack of communication from the diocese, and a lack of concern from the Episcopal College.
“The Diocese has had opportunity after opportunity to accept grants from different businesses for its maintenance.”
Earlier this year, Archdeacon Kelly Betteridge said that 'a closure of a church happens fairly infrequently' and only on the initiative of local people - missing a key element in the residents' campaign.
Merrymeet residents do not want the church sold.
Villagers kept guessing
Villagers have since been kept in the dark by the Diocese on future plans for the building. They believe that the main problem is with Menheniot PCC, which is deeply in debt. That the PCC and Rev Bell, backed by the Bishops and Archdeacons, has decided that the Merrymeet church building needs to be sold to clear this Menheniot debt.
The Residents’ Association would like to purchase the building themselves for village use.
They have repeatedly asked the Diocese - without success - for an estimated purchase cost so they can build a funding bid and budget.
They fear the silence is because the Rev Bell and the bishops want a quick sale to a developer, rather than wait for the proceeds as the residents try to raise money from grants.
Inevitably the failure by the Diocese to address concerns raises questions about the motives – and function – of the people at the helm and the amount of money spent at the diocese’s Head Office.
“We’re in limbo,” said Mr Luck. “We’re supposed to have another meeting this month but have heard nothing from them.”
The Residents’ Association would like to purchase the building themselves for village use.
They have repeatedly asked the Diocese - without success - for an estimated purchase cost so they can build a funding bid and budget.
They fear the silence is because the Rev Bell and the bishops want a quick sale to a developer, rather than wait for the proceeds as the residents try to raise money from grants.
Inevitably the failure by the Diocese to address concerns raises questions about the motives – and function – of the people at the helm and the amount of money spent at the diocese’s Head Office.
“We’re in limbo,” said Mr Luck. “We’re supposed to have another meeting this month but have heard nothing from them.”
The closure leaves the villagers with no choice but to find alternative ways to create a ‘church’ in the heart of their community – a much-needed focal point for a whole range of activities.
Besides services, the Mission Church was used for Craft Fairs, community events – like the June 2022 Platinum Jubilee – coffee mornings to raise money for local charities, parish council meetings on alternate months and resident association meetings monthly.
On the last Remembrance Day villagers created a poppy wreath memorial on the church gate, as they were unable to into the church where there is a memorial window listed with national registers of war memorials.
Not every Cornish church has a World War One window like this – just one of the unique features of Merrymeet Church. It - like the people of Merrymeet - deserves better.
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